Football returns this Friday and it is a derby night under the lights of Elland Road as Leeds United host Sheffield United.
BBC Radio Leeds' Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix preview that important game on the latest episode of the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Leeds United, Everton and Fulham are interested in Steaua Bucharest's 28-year-old Cameroon centre-back Joyskim Dawa, who has a release clause in the region of £4m. (Mirror)
Want more transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column
Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, 34, is one of a small number of free agents Leeds United are considering signing. (Yorkshire Evening Post), external
Leeds striker Patrick Bamford has pulled back the curtain on the players' pre-match meals, with even customisable pasta options available.
"The majority of players, probably about 80%, will have pasta before a game," he told the My Mate's a Footballer podcast.
"Either pasta or Gnocchi or something like that. There's loads of options. We have to fill a form in on the way. It's like pre-ordering.
"The rest of the staff, physios and stuff usually won't have the pasta. They'll make use of the hotel buffet. Whatever is available. It's all healthy in our section but they eat with us in the evening then some sneak away to the main hotel bit for breakfast.
"On the way down we'll get sent a Google sheets form where you put in your name and it says you have a choice of one of the pastas; Penne, Gnocchi, Gluten Free Penne or Fusilli.
"Those are the pasta options then the sauce options, and you can mix and match if you want, are green pesto, healthy bechamel white sauce, tomato and basil sauce, olive oil and red pesto.
"Then you can add as many of these as you want; peppers, chestnut mushrooms, peas, diced tomatoes, red onions, spinach, chicken, king prawns, chilli flakes, feta, cheddar and parmesan.
"You can put in what you like."
Image source, Getty ImagesLeeds United forward Patrick Bamford has been revealing all about how he turned to a sports psychologist to help him deal with his injuries, after reaching a point where he "hated" watching his own team play from the sidelines.
In a special edition of the 72+:The EFL Podcast, Bamford said: "At the time, I didn't even think I needed a sports psychologist. It was just one of those things that was suggested to me.
"When I really started to notice it helping me, it was when my injuries came. When I was out injured for so long, it actually got to a point where I hated watching my own team play.
"It sounds so strange, but it used to give me the feeling of anxiety or depression or something. Regardless of whether we won, drew or lost, I would just be in the worst mood after watching a game.
"I just couldn't shake it until I had spoken to my psychologist.
"I actually remember that I went through a period where I just wouldn't watch the games, just until I had gotten to a point where I was comfortable with it all again.
"So he helped me a lot through the injury process and with setting my goals, but obviously when you start playing again, the focus starts to change again."
Image source, Getty ImagesOn the latest edition of the BBC's 72+: The EFL Podcast, Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff present a special episode with Leeds striker Patrick Bamford.
Bamford talks openly about life at Elland Road after missing out on promotion last season and his relationships with current boss Daniel Farke and previous managers Marcelo Bielsa and Sam Allardyce, while comparing the three.
The 31-year-old also reveals what it has been like coping with injuries and angry supporters turning up outside his home.
Adonis Storr
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesWith one second of injury-time left last Friday night, away at then-Championship leaders Sunderland; at a ground where no away team had left with even a point, a wayward cross flicked off Junior Firpo's head, landed in what Pascal Struijk described as a "hole", spun wickedly past Illan Meslier and into Leeds United's empty net.
It looked like Meslier had made a huge error but on analysis it was the kind of freak occurrence where the impact was magnified by the time, setting and the player it involved.
The frustrations of Leeds fans with Meslier have been simmering under the surface for some time.
Meslier has consistently underperformed against the statistic that attempts to define a goalkeeper's shot-stopping ability – post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed. Over-performing goalkeepers are in credit, under-performers have a negative score.
Meslier has never been in credit with this metric at Leeds. In this season's Championship he sits 18th, the same place he finished last season. In the last two Premier League campaigns Meslier was 20th and 19th respectively and in the past five seasons he has conceded 35 goals more than statistically expected.
Meslier is 24 and years away from the average peak for goalkeepers. He is likeable, and has potential, but can Leeds afford to keep waiting for him to improve?
The Frenchman seems nervous at times, his distribution is a shadow of the display away at Arsenal in the FA Cup in January 2020, where he dazzled, spraying inch-perfect long passes all around the Emirates. He has saved one penalty in 20 for Leeds, and conceding record-breaking numbers at times in the Premier League looks like it has hurt his confidence.
It was a freak incident that provoked the discussion, but do Leeds need to find a new goalkeeper in January?
Find more from Adonis Storr at The Roaring Peacock, external
Image source, Getty ImagesLeeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier gifted Sunderland a point on Friday as the two promotion rivals played out a 2-2 draw.
In the latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, Jonny Buchan and Adam Pope discussed whether or not the goalkeeper should be dropped following the international break.
"If Daniel Farke takes him out for the next game after the international break, that's Illan Meslier done with Leeds United," Buchan said. "It says that the manager has taken him out for that one error. You cannot do that.
"We were only talking recently about the amount of clean sheets he has kept."
Pope added: "It's a horrific error whichever way you want to look at it - but I agree.
"Sheffield United at home is the next game, which is a huge game under the spotlight. Sheffield United will be doing their best to give Meslier a hard time but if he takes him out of that game, he's basically telling him he doesn't trust him in the big games.
"I don't get the impression that he's about to do that. He wanted to speak about all the positive stuff in that game, which included a brilliant save from Meslier at the beginning when he was then let down by others afterwards. I don't see him pulling him out."
Image source, Getty ImagesKaiser Chiefs bassist and Leeds United fan Simon Rix believes the Whites were able to make Sunderland look "pretty average" during the 2-2 draw on Friday evening.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast this week, Rix said: "They had a nice spell at the start but for most of the game I thought we made them look pretty average. We played well.
"My main thing is, we would have taken a point at the beginning of the game and it's another team that is ticked off that we've seen them play, a good team, who I don't think are as good as Leeds.
"At the end their fans were having massive celebrations at getting a point from something that wasn't skilful or from anything they did. They punted a ball and a mistake or some bad luck has meant they have fluked a point against Leeds.
"There are a lot of positives about Leeds at the moment that we can draw on."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
A new episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet has landed on BBC Sounds.
There is much to commend after a draw at league leaders Sunderland but Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier left the world of football aghast after his howler saw a draw grasped from the jaws of victory.
Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix provide all the analysis, opinion and reaction from an eventful night at the Stadium of Light.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Kalvin Phillips has joined his former Leeds United team-mate Patrick Bamford to offer insight into what it's like to be managed by Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road on the latest My Mate's A Footballer podcast.
Phillips, who spent 12 years at Leeds United, also reveals how the Argentine manager named his squad by numbers in his first-ever team meeting at the club and turned him into a defensive midfielder in the process.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast this week, Kaiser Chiefs bassist and Leeds United fan Simon Rix aired his concerns about the already fine margins in the Championship promotion race.
"I can see that if we only get the one point [at Sunderland] then people might freak out. It is very fine margins in this league, so looking at one point from six everyone on social media is crazy, mad and angry.
"You'd think, come the end of the season, that Norwich, Sunderland and Leeds will all be challenging for the play-offs. If you could pick some teams to play on that Saturday-Tuesday-Friday schedule you would not pick your direct rivals for those spots.
"If it's two points from the two games then everyone is more of the mindset of: 'OK, not a bad point on the road here and there.' But one thing is for sure, it would then make the next home game a must win."
Leeds head to Sunderland on Friday with a chance to go level on points with the Black Cats at the top of the table.
Image source, Getty ImagesLeeds United boss Daniel Farke says he and his team are monitoring "the players a little bit more" during the busy three-game-week because they already "thin in certain positions" of the team due to injuries.
Dan James, Manor Solomon, Max Wober, Ethan Ampadu and Isaac Schmidt missed Tuesday's trip to Norwich City while midfielder Ilia Gruev is the latest to pick up a long-term injury.
"We will have played three games in six days which even for the Championship is special," said Farke. "The second and third games are away games too.
"It is always a tricky period but I am used to it. Of course you have to adapt a little bit to the situation and that is why we opt to share the minutes a little bit when you have these three games.
"If we just played with the same 11 players then it would sent out the wrong sign to all of the players because we do need them [non-regular starters].
Leeds conclude their three-game-week against high-flying Sunderland on Friday at the Stadium of Light and Farke accepts it will be tough to ensure his players are at their peak.
"When you have a lot of injuries you also monitor the players a little bit more but some players will have to come in and aim to play all three games in the week," he said. "We are looking at what we can do to support their rehabilitation, nutrition and sleep as that is really important.
"We can't afford another injury because the squad is a bit thin in certain positions. It is a tricky time, but we are used to it and will handle it as professionally as possible."
Image source, Getty ImagesLeeds midfielder Ilia Gruev will need an operation on the knee injury suffered in Tuesday's draw at Norwich.
The Bulgarian was forced off in the 20th minute of the Championship game and the club have confirmed he picked up a "significant injury to his meniscus".
United say he will have surgery in the coming days before "an extended period of rehabilitation".
BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope is joined by Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix for a bonus episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet during a big week for the Whites.
The pair discuss the growing injury troubles at Elland Road and whether the club brought in sufficient cover for the squad to be able to deal with the demands of the tough Championship fixture schedule.
And with another tough away trip to Sunderland on Friday, Adam and Simon discuss if two points from two away games is enough for United's promotion ambitions.
Listen to the full episode now on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesIpswich midfielder Kalvin Phillips says the "narrative" around his weight became a personal frustration.
Earlier this year Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola apologised for saying the midfielder was "overweight" on his return from the Qatar World Cup.
It was something former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa worked on with the 28-year-old during their time at Elland Road.
Former Leeds team-mate Patrick Bamford felt the Argentine was the "harshest" on Phillips.
Speaking on Bamford's My Mate's A Footballer podcast on BBC Sounds, Phillips said: "When we first came in, Bielsa - being South American - was obsessed with body composition, weights and body fats. I was on the higher end of the team, if not the highest.
"I had a pre-season where, for about three weeks, I'd go home and I'd just have a protein shake for my dinner and then come in the next day and I just have to keep losing weight.
"He always pushed me to be on a certain weight tag. Obviously I respected it, but then I knew that I can't starve myself or I can't dehydrate myself because eventually I'm going to get injured or stop performing."
England international Phillips has praised Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna for how he has been since making his loan move to the club in the summer.
"That [overweight] narrative on social media just kind of grew and grew. Every club that I'd go to, I spoke to the manager and the nutritionist, and they'd always speak about weight before they'd say anything else," Phillips added.
"I was getting quite frustrated with it, but now I've come to Ipswich, the manager is an unbelievable person as well as a manager.
"We spoke about all the past stuff that happened in my career. He just said, 'I'm big on body composition and I just want you to get to where you were when you left Leeds. That'll give us a good starting point for you to push on and hopefully get to back, back to where you were.'"
